Last week, the Department of Agriculture announced new rules for the implementation of the Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022. The new rules seek to allow the government to temporarily waive tight restrictions on formula purchases made with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) funds during emergencies and future baby formula shortages.
In February 2022, Abbot Nutrition, the largest baby formula manufacturer in the United States, announced that it was recalling three popular brands of baby formula following complaints of bacterial contamination at a manufacturing facility in Michigan. The supply shock that followed was worsened by already existing pandemic-era supply chain issues. Within months, out-of-stock rates in 10 states had climbed to over 90 percent.
